Surgical filaments such as sutures and ligatures are often coated to improve their tie-down performance and tactile smoothness. Tie-down performance refers to the ease or difficulty of sliding a knot down the filament into place. Tie-down performance is related to tactile smoothness and the tendency of the filament to "grab" or "chatter". Tactile smoothness is also related to the ease with which the filament can be pulled through tissue.
It is customary to coat surgical filaments with materials to improve tie-down and tactile smoothness properties. This invention is directed to the use of a new material for this purpose.